NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- The Atlanta Braves' off-season has already seen some reconstruction effort, some prompted by the retirement of icon Chipper Jones, and there could be more to come.

Atlanta Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez

"Christmas is right around the corner," hinted Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez, a bit of a Claus-ian twinkle in his eye, "so you never know when you're going to get a little gift."

The Braves could close some deals before the end of the Baseball Winter Meetings here at the Gaylord Opryland Convention Center or even in the weeks leading up to spring training.

And, if they don't, that's fine, too.

"I feel like if it starts tomorrow, the season starts tomorrow, we're going to be OK because of our pitching, because of our bullpen," Gonzalez said. "It's pretty darned good. And we're OK, a pretty good team."

The bullpen star is Huntsville's Craig Kimbrel, who has led the National League in saves the past two years.

The "pretty good team" has seen the addition of outfielder B.J. Upton from Tampa Bay.

"You play against him and you see him, the way he can beat you," Gonzalez said. "He can beat you defensively or he can hit a gap or a homer to beat you. But I saw a guy that knows the game. He has great game. He asked really, really good questions. Don't confuse the guy that's kicked back or laid back for a guy that doesn't have any fire. He cares about winning, which that was impressive."

The gift would be someone to hit in the No. 1 spot, replacing free agent Michael Bourn.

"We're kind of still kicking it around. Frank (Wren, general manager) and our scouts and our front office people, they're knocking on doors and calling people and looking for that perfect or prototypical leadoff hitter," Gonzalez said.

Martin Prado could fill that role if need be. Just as he could fill any of a couple of spots. If Atlanta can add a leftfielder for that leadoff spot, Prado can take over full-time at third. If not, Prado can remain in left and Juan Francisco can play third.

There is little unsettled anywhere else. Andrelton Simmons will settle in at shortstop. Said Gonzalez, "He's one of those guys that at the end of his career, he may win a couple of those Gold Gloves."

Dan Uggla returns at second after a tough season and Gonzalez said, "You know what he gives you, just a hard-nosed, blue-collar type guy, and yeah, I'd like for him to bounce back with 30 home runs and hit what the back of that baseball card says, and I think he'll do that."

Youngster Jason Heyward will be back in right and Freddie Freeman at first base. Brian McCann is coming off shoulder surgery and is expected to be ready to catch in the spring.

"I really look for Mack to have a hell of a season for different reasons," Gonzalez said. "He's healthy, number one, and I think he's in the last year of his contract, and here's a young guy that he's not even 30 yet, and he's got a lot of big league games, a lot of big league years, productive years ahead of him. I am really looking for him to have a hell of a year."

What's really going to be different for the Braves is the absence of Jones.

When someone asked Gonzalez what he'd miss about Jones, he responded, "How much time do we have?

"We'll miss his presence, we'll miss his bat in the lineup. Even at 40 years old, last year he did some wonderful stuff. We'll miss him in the clubhouse. We'll miss him, that constant, I guess, that he's been there for 18 years," Gonzalez said. "But along those lines, Atlanta Braves has missed (John) Smoltz and (Tom) Glavine and (Greg) Maddux and those guys, and we have guys on our team right now that can step up and be that guy and not necessarily be Chipper Jones but be themselves and be leaders."

Gonzalez, whose contract was recently extended through the 2014 season ( "a no-brainer" for him to accept, he said), shepherded the Braves through a 94-win season that ended with a ignominious one-game playoff loss to St. Louis that was marked by egregious errors by the Braves and the umpiring crew.

One game does not a season make, however.

"You focus on 94 wins and you focus that we made the postseason, and I think once you get into the postseason, you're going to have to catch some breaks. And you've got to have a little bit of luck to keep going further," he said.

"It's still difficult because you still want to be those last two teams playing in October. But the thing that kind of hurts the most, you try to get over it, is that ... uncharacteristically we played a game that we haven't played all year. We made three errors that game and cost us a bunch of runs. But that's the way it goes sometimes. You lick your wounds a little bit and go on to spring training."